WORRYING new research has revealed how the public's ignorance about how to give life-saving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation could be costing lives.

Half the population has never received first aid training while only 4pc of people know how to give the kiss of life correctly - the best way of saving a life at the scene of an accident.

More than 1,000 people took part in a survey conducted by mobile phone giant Vodafone to assess the extent of Britain's life-saving techniques.

More than half of those questioned admitted they had no idea how to give Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). Only 4pc knew that the correct number of breaths to administer to a casualty was between eight and 12 per minute.

More than 50pc did not know their own blood group while seven out of 10 people said they did not carry a first aid kit in the car to help at the scene of a crash.

The survey also claimed to show that 60pc of UK companies were breaking the law by not making a first aid kit available to staff.

But more than two-thirds of those who took part in the survey said they felt first aid training should be made mandatory.

A Vodafone spokesman said, "The vast majority of Britons don't know how to give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation at the scene of an accident and could even endanger the victim's life in a crisis."